Truck and outsize cargo container

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a container for large motor vehicles and outsize cargo which includes a generally flat bed and corner posts for stacking the container in superposed relation with other containers and facilitating handling of the container. At least one of the rear corner posts is mounted upon the flat bed for displacement relative to the other corner post to increase the normal spacing therebetween to permit cargo wider than the normal spacing between the corner posts to be loaded upon the container.

United States Patent Bodenheimer et a1.

[ 1 Aug. 20, 1974 TRUCK AND OUTSIZE CARGO CONTAINER Inventors: Bert A. Bodenheimer, Stamford,

Conn.; Victor G. Parady, Trenton, NJ.

Sea-Land Service, Inc., Elizabeth, NJ.

Filed: Apr. 27, 1972 Appl. No.: 248,070

Assignee:

US. Cl 214/10.5 R, 220/8, 280/144, 294/67 D, 108/53, 220/l.5;8;97 R

Int. Cl 360p 3/06 Field of Search 214/105 R; 108/51, 53; 248/119; 280/144, 145; 105/367, 380, 381, 382; 294/67 D, 67 DA, 67 DB, 67 DC; 296/43 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1961 Lion 220/l.5 X

3,178,216 4/1965 Huber 294/67 DA 3,459,326 8/1969 Betjemann 1 214/1015 R X 3,481,503 12/1969 Kloess et a1 220/115 3,720,437 3/1973 Lambert 296/1 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 476,622 9/1969 Switzerland 220/15 Primary Examiner-Frank E. Werner [5 7 ABSTRACT This invention provides a container for large motor vehicles and outsize cargo which includes a generally flat bed and corner posts for stacking the container in superposed relation with other containers and facilitating handling of the container. At least one of the rear corner posts is mounted upon the flat bed for displacement relative to the other corner post to increase the normal spacing therebetween to permit cargo wider than the normal spacing between the corner posts to be loaded upon the container.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures L Fl TRUCK AND OUTSIZE CARGO CONTAINER BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a container adapted to be mounted upon a highway truck-trailer chassis, a railway flat car or the like, and to be detached therefrom and stowed in cells within a ship or on a ship deck for marine transportation. Such containers include corner posts having upper and lower castings to facilitate stacking of the container in superposed relation and to facilitate handling of the container.

Containers, such as disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 3,606,514 and 3,085,707 are adequate for many types of cargo including certain vehicles such as automobiles,

small trucks, etc. Normally the width of such containers is restricted to 96 inches by both standards and legal road limits. The container corner posts occupy approximately 3 inches on each side so that the maximum door opening is approximately 90 inches. Therefore, goods such as large trucks and other outsize cargo having a width greater than the approximately 90 inches between the corner posts cannot be transported by the conventional containers.

The present invention relates to a container which is capable of carrying large trucks and other heavy lift or outsize cargo and which can be stacked in superposed relation with other containers above deck or within cells in the hold of a ship. The terms heavy lift cargo and outsize cargo are intended to include goods not necessarily excessive in weight but rather exceeds the dimensions which conventional containers are capable of carrying.

The container comprises a generally flat bed structure having end frames including corner posts with at least one of the rear corner posts being displaceable relative to the flat bed structure to enable equipment having width of 8 feet or more to pass between the rear corner posts during loading or unloading of the wide equipment.

In a preferred embodiment, the two rear corner posts are pivotably secured to the container flat bed structure or frame and can be retained in either the opened or closed positions by means of an over-center locking mechanism. While the rear corner posts illustrated are displaceable manually, it is to be understood that such posts may be displaced by hydraulic or other suitable means. In addition, the corner posts could be mounted for slidable displacement transversely of the longitudiin which preselected corner posts are displaceable to increase the width between the corner posts.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a stackable container for large vehicles and outsize cargo wherein the rear corner posts are pivotably displaceable to define an opening wider than the normal width of the container to facilitate loading and unloading of the cargo.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 3 is an enlarged, rear elevational view of the container with a displaceable corner post in the closed position, the container being supported upon a conventional trailer;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, rear elevational view of the right side of the container with the rear corner post being pivoted, with respect to the container frame, to an open position, the normally closed position being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, top plan view of one rear corner of the container illustrating a pivotable rear corner post;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the container and a rear corner post; and

7 FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the container and a rear corner post with the corner post being pivoted to the open position to illustrate the overcenter locking mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawing and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, there is shown a container body 10 of open type construction including a longitudinally extending base 12 and end structures comprising upstanding front corner post 14 and rear corner post 16. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the container body 10 is detachably mounted upon a trailer chassis 11. However, it is to be noted that the container also is capable of being detachably secured to arailway flat car and is capable of being hoisted, by means of a lifting spreader as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,042,227, onto a marine vessel where it can be stacked in superposed relation with other containers.

The base 12 is generally rectangular having a predetermined width and length and includes a floor or bed 18 for supporting the cargo, and longitudinally extending side rails 20 interconnected by transversely extending frame members 22. The base 12 may be provided with longitudinally extending, spaced, center beams 24 having at least portions raised above the bed 18 which serve as a means to guide vehicles upon the container body 10 in a generally straight pattern.

To facilitate stacking of the containers and lifting of the containers, the corner posts 14, 16 are provided. The front corner posts 14 are secured to the base 12 and each has upper and lower castings 26 provided with sockets 28 for lifting and securing together the containers as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,646,609. The front corner posts 14 may be coupled together by a generally horizontally extending member 30, FIG. 2, provided adjacent the uppermost ends of the front posts 14.

The rear corner posts 16 include upper and lower castings 26 and sockets 28 similar to the front corner posts 14, however, rather than being rigidly secured to the base 12, they are mounted for displacement relative thereto. Each rear corner post 16 is rigidly attached to a short rail section 32 which, in turn, is pivotably secured to each corner post 16 adjacent the lowermost of the container is taken out by the tapered pins 38 and the sleeves 44.

An over-the-center locking arrangement 46 is'provided for each rear corner post 16 for maintaining the postl6 in the open position, as shown by FIGS. 4 and 7 ,orin the closed position, as shown by FIGS. 1-3 and 5. The locking arrangement 46 may take various forms.

v However, in the preferred embodiment a lever 48 has a first end pivoted to a bracket 50 by a suitable fastener 52 and a second end pivotably secured to a lever 54 by a suitable fastener-S6. The lever 54 is rigidly secured to a'pin 58 which is pivotably mounted between the plates 60 and 62. The plates 60 and 62 are secured to the transverse frame member 40 and preselected ones of the frame members 42.'The reduced upper end of each pivot pin 58 has a member 64 attached thereto for facilitating rotation of the pin 58, displacement of levers 54, 48, and displacement of a post 16. As shown by H6. 5, with the post 16 in the closedposition, the center line of the lever 48 is to the right side of the pivot pin 58 therebyserving as an over-center lock for maintaining the post'16 in the closed position. When the post 16 is to be displaced to an open position, the pin 58 is rotated counterclockwise (FIG. 5) to move the levers 48, 54 to the FIG. 7 position.

The uppermost ends of the posts 16 are interconneetedby a telescoping arrangement 66. The telescoping arrangement includes telescoping members 68, 70

with the outer end of each member being pivotably secured by pins 72 to bracket 74 secured to the posts 16.

Normally, legal limits preclude the highway use of a container having a width X of more than 96 inches. Since each rear corner-post is approximately 3 inches wide, the maximum rear opening Y for loading and unloading cargo is approximately 90 inches. Many trucks and other heavy lift cargo are approximately 9 inches wide, or more, and therefore cannot be transported by present containers due to the limited width of the loading opening. By displacing the rear corner posts 16 relative to the base 12 to opened positions, cargo wider than 90 inches and even in excess of 96 inches can be loaded. After loading, the corner posts are closed and retained in closed position by locking arrangements 46 tainer suchthat the container can be positioned above the deck of a ship with the overhang outboard.

We claim: v I

1. Freight handling apparatus comprising an open framed body for stacking interchangeably in superposed relation with other bodies, said body including a longitudinally extending base for supporting freight,

said base having a predetermined width, a predetermined length and longitudinally spaced end portions, and means on said body for facilitating lifting of said body and supporting said body in superposed relation with other bodies, said means including at least one generally vertically disposed end structure having a stack supporting surface positioned adjacent one of said end portions, having an exterior width generally corresponding to said base predetermined width in a normal position and having an interior width narrower than said base predetermined width and defining an opening for providing access of freight to said base and means mounting at least a portion of said generally vertically disposed end structure to said base for displacement in an upright position relative thereto to increase the effective size of saidinterior freight access opening to a width at least as wide as the predetermined width of said base.

2. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, said means for facilitating lifting of said body and supporting of said body in superposed relation with other bodies further including an end structure located adjacent the other of said base end portions, each of said end structures including vertically extending members having upper and lower castings whereby the Weight of bodies positioned thereabove is borne exclusively by said castings and vertically extending members.

. 3. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, said end structure including vertically disposed corner posts having coupling castings at the upper and lower ends thereof, said mounting means permitting displacement of one corner post relative to the other.

4. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 3, said mounting means including means for pivotably mounting at least one corner post relative to said base.

5. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one displaceable corner post pivots about a pin: longitudinally spaced along said base from said corner post.

6. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 5, and further including a tapered pin secured to said displaceable corner post and a sleeve secured to said base for receiving said tapered pin when said displaceable corner post is in the closed position.

7. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said both of said corner posts are pivotably secured to said base for displacement between opened and closed positions, and further including means for releasably locking said pivotable posts in the closed position.

8. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for releasably locking the pivotable posts includes over-center pivoted lever arrangements.

means being pivotably secured to the corner posts. 

1. Freight handling apparatus comprising an open framed body for stacking interchangeably in superposed relation with other bodies, said body including a longitudinally extending base for supporting freight, said base having a predetermined width, a predetermined length and longitudinally spaced end portions, and means on said body for facilitating lifting of said body and supporting said body in superposed relation with other bodies, said means including at least one generally vertically disposed end structure having a stack supporting surface positioned adjacent one of said end portions, having an exterior width generally corresponding to said base predetermined width in a normal position and having an interior width narrower than said baSe predetermined width and defining an opening for providing access of freight to said base and means mounting at least a portion of said generally vertically disposed end structure to said base for displacement in an upright position relative thereto to increase the effective size of said interior freight access opening to a width at least as wide as the predetermined width of said base.
 2. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, said means for facilitating lifting of said body and supporting of said body in superposed relation with other bodies further including an end structure located adjacent the other of said base end portions, each of said end structures including vertically extending members having upper and lower castings whereby the weight of bodies positioned thereabove is borne exclusively by said castings and vertically extending members.
 3. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 1, said end structure including vertically disposed corner posts having coupling castings at the upper and lower ends thereof, said mounting means permitting displacement of one corner post relative to the other.
 4. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 3, said mounting means including means for pivotably mounting at least one corner post relative to said base.
 5. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one displaceable corner post pivots about a pin longitudinally spaced along said base from said corner post.
 6. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 5, and further including a tapered pin secured to said displaceable corner post and a sleeve secured to said base for receiving said tapered pin when said displaceable corner post is in the closed position.
 7. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said both of said corner posts are pivotably secured to said base for displacement between opened and closed positions, and further including means for releasably locking said pivotable posts in the closed position.
 8. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said means for releasably locking the pivotable posts includes over-center pivoted lever arrangements.
 9. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 7, said end structure including means interconnecting the uppermost portions of said rear corner posts.
 10. Freight handling apparatus as recited in claim 9, said interconnecting means comprising telescoping means, the outermost end portions of the telescoping means being pivotably secured to the corner posts. 